Eco-Friendly Crafting With The Kids

Image by Karolina Grabowska from Pixabay 

If you want to do more to save the planet than just your recycling efforts, there are ways you can
combine having fun with the kids, reusing rubbish and doing your bit for the environment. It is no
secret that the world is highly polluted with our everyday use of plastic, paper, and general waste
and if you want an alternative to just putting the right materials into the correct bins, then
earth-friendly arts and crafts might just be the answer. They are a great way to make your everyday
rubbish into something useful and beautiful as well as a lovely way to spend time with your children.
Here are a few ideas for your eco-friendly crafts. 

Make The Most Of Nature

Making things with pinecones, stones, and sticks is always fun, and you know you’re not at risk from
using anything harmful to the environment but simply enjoying nature. You can make pretty much
anything with materials you find in the park or the woods, try making stick men, jewelry or beautiful
pictures. Not only will you make some pretty crafts but also have a great time outdoors and teaching
your kids about nature. 

Reuse Bottles, Cans, and Jars

Making eco-friendly crafts teaches and encourages your children to care about the environment and
gain an interest in recycling. As you will know, plastics are a problem when it comes to pollution, this
problem is only getting bigger, and it is mainly prevalent in our oceans. Reusing bottles, cans, and jars
is a great idea when you want to make something with the kids, and these items are especially useful
for recycling into your own holders and containers. You could try a pencil holder, a plant pot, or a bird
feeder from a plastic bottle. Collect all your metal bottle cap, and you can create a bottle cap table or
decorate a tabletop for any part of your home.

Reuse Paper and Boxes

Any magazines and newspapers you have read can be reused as can cardboard boxes which take up
room in your house. Boxes are great for making things like dollhouses, or even just decorating a box
which you can then use as a memory box or to keep special things in. Magazines and newspapers
are good for making pencils, paper roses or paper mache 

Don’t Throw Away Your Clothing

There is no doubt that your wardrobe will be housing plenty of clothing that you no longer wear or your
kids have grown out of. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to throw them away. Using your old
clothing is a great idea for unique and beautiful craft projects. You could upcycle the clothing to wear it
again as something new or cut it up to make rugs, blankets, or toys. Take a look at the
Levi Strauss Foundation, which has some fantastic ideas for crafts that use denim. You could try
making coasters, aprons, dog toys, or bracelets with your old jeans.

Use Your Old Jewelry

You will probably have plenty of costume jewelry that you do not wear anymore, and this is also an
excellent resource for crafts. You can reuse the jewelry or make your own jewelry from items around
the house. You can turn old milk jugs into earrings and necklaces, use old nail varnish to create jewels
for rings and accessories and you’ll have new and unique pieces that no one else will have. You could
also decorate old frames, make magnets, or create a flower brooch tabletop decoration.

You might need extra supplies from the shop to make some of these fantastic creations you have in
mind, so be mindful of buying eco-friendly materials so as not to add to the problem.
Think plastic straw alternatives, environmentally friendly eco glue, recycled paper, All-Natural Craft
Paint, and reusable stickers. 

Remember, there are loads of items you’ll find lying around the house that can be used to make arts and crafts. For example, with an empty egg carton, you could make anything from a stylish jewelry box to a crocodile. Toilet paper and kitchen paper rolls are also great items for crafts, and you can make something as simple as a kaleidoscope and Minions to something as complicated as a Christmas wreath and toilet paper roll flowers.

collaborative post